


All the Lights in the Sky

by Laylah



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Community: areyougame, F/M, Happy Ending, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-13
Updated: 2010-11-13
Packaged: 2017-10-13 04:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/133143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I thought -- I'd like to have a reminder, of all those places. All those stars, in the same sky."</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the Lights in the Sky

They're under too much scrutiny -- or perhaps it's kinder to say their people are too happy to have them safe and well -- but in any case, Asch and Natalia have little time to themselves and certainly no privacy before their wedding night. It's then, when Natalia slips out of her gown and the seemingly endless yards of lacy things under it -- no wonder her dress billowed like that -- that Asch has to stop and stare.

A trail of stars winds its way around Natalia's hips, curving gently over the aches of her hipbones and then drawing his eye down toward -- Asch looks back up at her face, blushing. "Tattoos?"

Natalia nods shyly, her hands drifting down as if to cover them before she makes herself stop. "There was a lady at Nam Cobanda Isle," she says. Of course. "She had them all over, and she said they...they told stories of all her adventures."

All those years apart, and Asch is still pretty sure he knows what comes next. "And you thought that sounded romantic," he says.

"Well, doesn't it?" Natalia asks. She's blushing a little, too. She's so beautiful.

Asch nods. "So what story do yours tell?" he asks.

"They're actual stars," Natalia says. "Constellations. We saw so many of them, going different places at different times. I thought -- I'd like to have a reminder, of all those places. All those stars, in the same sky."

"It does sound romantic, when you put it like that," Asch admits. "Can I -- can I look?"

Natalia nods, lowering her hands to her sides. Asch takes a step closer, kneels to be able to see her stars up close. When he looks carefully, he can pick them out: the Liger, the Cheagle, the Score-Reader, the dusty swirl of the Fon Belt tying them together. He lifts one hand -- and if it's trembling, Natalia doesn't notice, or doesn't say anything about that, at least -- to trace the pattern of the Fonstone at her left hip. She shivers.

Asch looks up. "Is that -- is this okay?"

"Yes," Natalia says. She rests a hand on his shoulder, warm, comforting. "O-of course."

Asch traces the map of the stars across her skin -- first with his fingertips and then, later, with his mouth. All the places they've each been, all the things they've seen, and despite it all they've found their way here: charting the stars, finally, home.


End file.
